1. Field
A modifiable elongated device, more specifically, an endoscope capable of transitioning between a rigid or fixed configuration and a modifiable or flexible configuration to change a shape of the device.
2. Background
An endoscope is a medical instrument used to examine and perform various interventions within the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body, or in the case of a neuroendoscope, the central nervous system. Endoscopes generally include a tube that can be advanced through the body to the region of interest, a light delivery system (e.g., an optical fiber system) to illuminate the organ or object under inspection, a lens system for transmitting the image to the viewer, an eyepiece and one or more channels to allow entry of medical instruments or manipulators through the endoscope body.
Endoscopes can be flexible or rigid depending on the desired use. For example an endoscope having a flexible body can be advanced through the winding intestinal tract to reach a target region. The flexible body, however, remains flexible through the surgical procedure and has a fixed length. It can therefore be difficult to control the device and reach a target region that may be farther away then anticipated. In addition, since the body is flexible, it must be advanced through an open passageway. Flexible endoscopes are therefore not suitable for surgical procedures that require advancement of the device through body tissues. In such cases, a rigid endoscope is used.
A rigid endoscope, for example a neuroendoscope, typically has a rigid tube that can be advanced through the skull and brain directly to the brain region of interest. In particular, the region of interest is determined in advance and then a small hole is formed in the skull. The neuroendoscope is then inserted through the hole directly to the region of interest. Since the neuroendoscope is inserted through brain matter, the rigidity is important to ensure that it does not deviate from the desired course and unnecessarily compromise the surrounding brain matter.
The rigidity of the neuroendoscope, however, also has several disadvantages. In particular, the surgeon is working in an extremely narrow field of view so it may be difficult to view and maneuver around a region of interest that is larger than expected, for example, a large tumor. In addition, it is not uncommon for blood vessels to get nicked while the tube is being advanced through the brain. When this happens, the surgeon may see a sudden spurt or gush of blood but the surgeon may not know where the blood is coming from. The endoscope can be moved slightly from the path to the region of interest to try and identify the damaged vessel, but movement is extremely limited. In particular, since a diameter of the hole formed in the skull is typically only around 1 centimeter (cm), the angle within which the endoscope can move is limited. Moreover, movement of the neuroendoscope in different directions slices the brain matter. Thus, in trying to chase a bleeding blood vessel or trying to obtain a different view of a large tumor, brain matter is unnecessarily compromised. In addition, due to the rigidity of the neuroendoscope, the region of interest can only be approached at a fixed angle and some targets may be inaccessible at this angle because of where they are located.
In addition, endoscopes typically have a fixed length therefore a target region that is beyond the length of the selected endoscope may cause further surgical complications.